Combined step-ladder



No. 6I2,878. Patented Oct. 25,- |898. D. (i. SNYDER.

COMBINED STEP LADDER, IRONING BOARD, AND BENCH.

(Applestion led Dec. 15, 1897.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Nirnn STATES iPnirmvfr OFFICE.

DANIEL G. SNYDER, OF READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

COMBINED STEP-LADDER, lRONlNG-BOARD, AND BENCH.

v SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 612,878, dated October 25, 1898.

Application led December 15, 1897. Serial No. 662,042. (No model.)

T0 all 1071/0711/ t may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL G. SNYDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Penn# Sylvania, have invented a new and useful Combined Step-Ladder, Ironing-Board, and Bench, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention is in the nature of a combined step-ladder, ironing-board, bench or couch, and elevated platform.

The objectof my invention is to furnish a combined structure of this class which shall be simple, strong, and durable, composed of a small number-of inexpensive and easilymanufactured parts so constructed that they may be readily put together and adjusted to form any of the diiferent articles by houseservants or other unskilled labor, and may be folded up into a compact form for purposes of transportation or storage.

With this object in view my invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, and combination of parts whereby a combined structure of the class described is formed, as fully described in the specification, the particular points of novelty in which will be specifically set forth in the appended claim.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention most nearly appertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in Which Figure 1 is a perspective View illustrating my invention in the form of a step-ladder. Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating my invention in the form of a step-ladder and raised platform. Fig. 3 is a perspective view illustrating my invention in the form of an ironing-table. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustrating my invention in the form of aV bench, settee, lounge, or cot. Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section through the device as shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the device folded. Fig. 7 isv a perspective view of the under side of the board which forms the raised platform shown in Fig. 2.

Likenumerals of reference mark the same 14 being braced by rods 18 and 19.

parts wherever they occur in the various figures of the drawings.

` Referring 'to the drawings by numerals,/S represents a solid board which forms the back, upon which are secured the two side pieces 9 and 10, steps 11 being secured in notches in the inner sides of the side pieces 9 and 10.

A bar 12 is passed through the side pieces 9 and 10, near their upper ends, upon which are pivoted wooden strips or bars 13 and 14, which form the supporting-legs of the stepladder when in the position shown in Fig. 1, these legs being prevented from moving away from the step-ladder proper by means of a pivoted hook 15, attached to the strip 13 and engaging in a notch 16, cut in the front edge of the side piece 9.

The parts described, with the plank 17 secured upon the top of the side pieces 9 and 10, form a complete step-ladder, the strips 13 and The strips 2O and 21 are pivotally secured at about their mid-length to the legstrips 13 and 14 by means of rivets 22 and are connected at their lower ends by a cranked cross-rod 23.

24 indicates a board provided with a single downwardly-projecting hook 25 at one end and two downwardly-projecting hooks 2G and 27 at the opposite end. The board 8, which forms the back of the step-ladder, is connected to the board 17, which forms the top of the step-ladder, by an inclined board 2S, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

The parts hereinbefore mentioned form my complete device, and I will now proceed to describe how the structure is converted from the step-ladder shown in Fig. 1 to the other forms illustrated in the rest of the drawings.

To convert the step-ladder into a step-ladder and elevated platform, as shown in Fig. 2, it is only necessary to reverse the position of the strips 2O and 21 on their pivots 22, so as to bring the lower ends, which are connected by the cranked rod 23, upward. The two pairs of strips 13 and 14 and 20 and 21 are now brought to a position substantially that of an ordinary wood-horse, the upper ends of the strips 20 and 2l being brought to positions a distance from the upper ends of the strips 13 and 14 (and consequently from the top of the step-ladder, to which 13 and 14 are pivoted) equal to the distance between IOO the hook 25 at one end of the board 24 and the lhooks 26 and 27 at the opposite end of said board. The board 24 is now reversed from the position shown in Fig. 7 so that its hooks depend downwardly, as before described, and the hook 25 engaged under the edge of the board 17, Which forms the top of the step-ladder, the hooks 26 and 27 being engaged with the cranked cross-rod 23 at the now upper ends of the strips 2O and 21. The construction of the Various parts is such that in this position the board 24 will be level or horizontal and will serve as an elevated platform, upon which any one can mount by way of the step-ladder, which by this adjustment is broughtinto proper position for such mounting, as shown in Fig. 2. The elevated platform thus formed may be utilized for such purposes as cleaning the walls of a room or hanging pictures therein, in hanging paper, or painting Walls, or ceilings, dre.

To convert my combined structure into an ironing-table, it is only necessary to place the strips 13 and 14 and 2O and 21 in substantially the same position in which they are placed in Fig. 2 to form the combined stepladder and elevated platform, the board 24 having been, of course, removed, and then turn the step-ladder on the rod 12 as a pivot until the board 8 is upward, when the cranked cross-rod 23, connecting the upper ends of the strips 2O and 2l, may be inserted in the notches 29, formed in the then lower edges of the side pieces 9 and 10 of the step-ladder. This Will bring the board 8 into a horizontal position supported at the proper distance from the floor to serve as an ironing-table or for any analogous purpose.

To change the ironing-table into a structure such as illustrated in Fig. 4, which may beutilized as a bench, lounge, couch, or cot, it is only necessary to change the rod 23 from the notches 29 into the notches 30, which will merely lower the board 8, while maintaining its horizontal position, the inclined board 28 serving as a base or support for a pillow at yone end When it is desired to use the strucof storage or transportation, the strips 13 and 14 and 2O and 21 are laid parallel to each other, With the cranked rod 23, which connects the ends of the strips 2O and 21, at the bottom of said strips, as in the step-ladder construction shown in Fig. 1, when the strips thus folded may be moved to a position outside of and parallel to the side pieces 9 and 10 of the stepladder, the brace-rods 18 and 19 lying upon the outside and closely against the edges of the steps of the ladder and the cranked crossrod occupying a position at the end of the side pieces of the ladder, as clearly shown in Fig. 6, the Whole structure occupying the small space that the step-ladder occ upies plus a Width equal to the thickness of the four strips 1-3, 14, 20, and 21. The board 24 may be laid upon the structure and secured thereto in any suitable manner, when the whole devicel may be stored out of the Way in a very small space.

The construction and operation of my combination device will be fully understood from the foregoing description, and it will be obvious from the extreme simplicity of the various parts and the entire absence of ironwork-such as castings, brackets, &c.-that the structure can be very cheaply made by ordinary mechanics and as cheaply and readily repaired When broken or Worn in use.

While I have illustrated. and described what I consider efficient means for carrying out my invention, I do not wish to be understood as restricting myself to the exact construction and arrangement shown and described, but hold that any slight changes or variations, such as might suggest themselves to the ordinary mechanic, would properly fall Within the limit and scope of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby ,Letters Patent of the United States, is

The combination With the ladder proper of a step-ladder, consisting of side pieces, back board and s-teps, of leg-strips pivoted to the side pieces near their upper ends, similar strips pivoted on the outside of the irst-mentioned leg-strips at about their mid-length, a cranked rod connecting the ends of said outside strips and adapted to engage in notches in the lower edges of the side pieces of the step-ladder when in position to form abench, lounge, couch or cot, the top board of the step-ladder projecting beyond the line of the back board thereof, and an inclined board extending from the end of the back board to the edge of the top board of the step-ladder to form a pillow-support, substantially as described.

DANIEL G. SNYDER. Witnesses:

J. V. EsHELMAN, WM. T. SNYD'ER.

IOO 

